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Vivendi now has 24% of Ubisoft's capital (was 22%); 21% of their Voting rights
- Thread starter Justified
- Start date
Well, I expect a THQ-like situation if Vivendi takes the control.
Nirolak, don't do me dirty like this.
Fox Mulder
Member
Hahaha..
Leafhopper
Banned
Is Crossing Eden okay?
Triggerhappytel
Member
Less profitable divisions could well be hacked off -- this will probably mean fewer games like Rayman or Child of Light, and more Far Crys, Creeds, Tom Clancy stuff, etc.
The Guillemots will have hundreds of millions so I doubt they'll be too sad.
30% and then legally they have to make a bid to buy the company, as I understand it.
Keep calm. Right now they can't do anything, as the shareholders' general meeting happened one month ago (for the year to come) and Vivendi abstained from voting because they knew they didn't have enough power to overthrow the Guillemot brothers.
However if they reach 30% (either in shares or voting rights) they will be forced to do a takeover bid, which will be considered as hostile.
However if they reach 30% (either in shares or voting rights) they will be forced to do a takeover bid, which will be considered as hostile.
GraveRobberX
Platinum Trophy: Learned to Shit While Upright Again.
New meme born ala "Shot themselves in the foot"
Sgt. Kabukiman
Banned
Well, looks like Vivendi is intent on ruining all of French media.
Ubisoft is far from perfect but they deserve better than the slow and inevitable death Vivendi would bring.
Ubisoft is far from perfect but they deserve better than the slow and inevitable death Vivendi would bring.
Its a hostile takeover so odds are Vivendi will not be looking to put the best interests of Ubisoft and its employees first. If they take control, expect a lot of changes at the upper levels of Ubi management, whether its forced or voluntary resignations.
Activision-Blizzard bought their way out of Vivendi - IIRC Vivendis interest was more in telecommunication than games and had been trying to sell Activision-Blizz before they bought themselves out.
Activision-Blizzard bought their way out of Vivendi - IIRC Vivendis interest was more in telecommunication than games and had been trying to sell Activision-Blizz before they bought themselves out.
Obliterator
Member
To be perfectly frank that user, even if being sarcastic isn't that far off the mark. They are no doubt more diverse and produce more general higher quality content than Activision and Take-Two. EA are the only one of the big 4 that I would put around Ubi in terms of steadily releasing high quality successful content in many different genres.
NoPiece
Member
There is no real reason to think that, Activision/Blizzard survived and are doing well. I guess I can't say the same for Sierra, but that was probably inevitable.
You joke but if they put new management in there is no telling.
Execs will do anything for a percieved "win"
"We are sunsetting the siege service as we look into how to better synergistically maximize the brand across more platforms, especially mobile, blah blah blah"
Relaxed Muscle
Member
Like Aldrich, slowly devouring Gwyndolin.
Aztechnology
Member
And if there's anything businesses like shutting down more than profitable products, it's high margin digital products where people spend tons of money on microtransactions and season passes with relatively low maintenance costs and strong catalog sales.
That was under a different Vivendi owner. The current one is known for being a lot more proactive.
I Wanna Be The Guy
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
Watch Dogs, Assassins Creed, Splinter Cell, Rayman, Valiant Hearts, Child of Light, Rainbow Six Siege, Grow Home, South Park etc. All high quality titles. All varied. Please name me a single third party publisher with a lineup of games recently as varied or high quality as this. Please name me another third party publisher greenlighting games like Steep or For Honour.
Come up with an actual argument to dispute what I said instead of just laughing. I really don't see how one can deny the quality or variety of Ubisofts lineup compared to other major third party publishers. They really don't get enough credit.
Paradox Interactive, Sega. I'd even go as far as say Capcom has (subjectively) better output than Ubisoft.
Obliterator
Member
I mean its all subjective I suppose
But in terms of the actual market representing the vast majority of gamers, none of those companies can even come anywhere near approaching Ubisoft
I actually agree with you. And even in their existing series they did some bold moves, see turning AC in a (good) pirate simulator and taking FC to the stone age. In both those cases the change in setting did more to the actual gameplay than any CoD has done in nearly a decade, yet people act like they crap out identical games each year.
Still, a significant part of the shit Ubisoft gets is grounded in legitimate criticism, I feel.
GankzyMcfly
Member
Just keep doing what your doing with siege and ill be fine with whatever.
I Wanna Be The Guy
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
I don't think Sega's output is very good at all any more. They are a shell of their former selves. I was as big a Sega fan as anyone in their day, but now? They'd be lucky if they cracked my top 10. Capcom are a similar story.
Yes of course, Ubisoft is one of the largest publishers after all. Though I do feel that they are starting to narrow their efforts towards open-world online design, and less on their more niche offerings.
Sega: Warhammer series, Alien Isolation, Yakuza, Valkyria, Football Manager, Project Diva, Sonic, a bunch of jRPGS and fighting games, and a whole lot more, all within the past 2 years. That's pretty diverse, ain't it?
Capcom: SFV, Monster Hunter, Dragon's Dogma > I personally love all of these and would take them over any game published by Ubi (this one's really just my taste though)
But, not to get off-topic, I agree with you that losing Ubisoft will be a huge blow to the industry. They are one of the big publishers that is actually going out of its way to open studios in other parts of the world to open up game development outside of the established norm. I actually applaud them in their efforts and wouldn't want to see those studios shuttered by Vivendi.
The director of Vivendi has changed. Vincent Bolloré (the actual director) kills everything he touch.
Pestilence11
Member
Stupid question perhaps, how do public companies prevent these hostile takeovers?
Keeping a majority stake. It's what Rare had going.
YianGaruga
Banned
I'm sure Vivendi will still need Astroturfers
It is not good.
Vivendi recent acquisitiion tv channel iTélé is on strike because they forced the news channel to hire a guy who has nothing to do with news (to begin with) for a very high salary AND has a pending criminal investigation for pedophilia (he ran castings for 15-17yo boys and basically used the nebulous occasion to fuck them).
Vivendi has fucked up their acquisition of Canal+ group in the most spectacular way, basically pushing all the team leads out while replacing them with people close to Boloré that know nothing but are loyal.
If Vivendi buys Ubisoft, expect all leads to be fired.
If they fired the guy who handle a small show on their buttfuck channel no one gives a shit about to be replaced by a guy whose such a friend to the new direction Boloré might wear the guy as a glove, no one is really safe at Ubisoft.
I don't know how things were at ATVI but Vivendi is significantly worse these days.
Vivendi recent acquisitiion tv channel iTélé is on strike because they forced the news channel to hire a guy who has nothing to do with news (to begin with) for a very high salary AND has a pending criminal investigation for pedophilia (he ran castings for 15-17yo boys and basically used the nebulous occasion to fuck them).
Vivendi has fucked up their acquisition of Canal+ group in the most spectacular way, basically pushing all the team leads out while replacing them with people close to Boloré that know nothing but are loyal.
If Vivendi buys Ubisoft, expect all leads to be fired.
If they fired the guy who handle a small show on their buttfuck channel no one gives a shit about to be replaced by a guy whose such a friend to the new direction Boloré might wear the guy as a glove, no one is really safe at Ubisoft.
I don't know how things were at ATVI but Vivendi is significantly worse these days.
clem84
Gold Member
lolSoon.........
Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew
Banned
Seems like Christmas day purchase about to happen.
Hhahahahahahahahahahahhahaha
Oh wait your serious...
HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!!!
There's only 3 companies I absolutely refuse to buy video games from and that's EA, Ubisoft, and Gearbox. The way Ubisoft treat their developers and how to they handle a lot of their titles is no better then EA.
Oh boy, you're going to absolutely LOVE how Vivendi treat their employees like used cleanex after a lonely night in a dorm room!
Seriously the best possible outcome is if all the firings that are going to happen means there's a myriad of small studios opening from ex employees.
Why is every Ubisoft topic filled with drive-by shitposts? I hope that this acquisition doesn't happen. I hope that if it does noone be negatively affected by it.
Everyone knows that For Honor, Southpark, Far Cry, Grow Home, Steep, Anno 2205, TrackMania, Just Dance, Beyond Good & Evil, Watch Dogs, Rainbow Six Siege, Rayman, Assassin's Creed and Child of Light are all just 'safe sequels' that just use 'a standard, focus tested template'.
Lots of people complain about Ubisoft and towers, but they'll be darned if they step off theirs.
Everyone knows that For Honor, Southpark, Far Cry, Grow Home, Steep, Anno 2205, TrackMania, Just Dance, Beyond Good & Evil, Watch Dogs, Rainbow Six Siege, Rayman, Assassin's Creed and Child of Light are all just 'safe sequels' that just use 'a standard, focus tested template'.
Lots of people complain about Ubisoft and towers, but they'll be darned if they step off theirs.
malboroking
Banned
Why are you laughing? Does it really shock you that a company that sells millions of copies of their games has people that are fans of said games?
Astral Dog
Member
As someone that hates Ubisoft outpout the last few years this is kinda depressing , good luck Ubi
malboroking
Banned
Yeah, all of these drive by posts really piss me off. It's like people have to show off just how intelligent and discerning they are with what types of games they play when they are ignoring half of the god damn companies game catalogue. When posting about how bad Ubisofts games are, please post some counterexamples of what you think are good games at the very least. It's so damn lazy to just sit there and take weak potshots while not having to defend your gaming tastes.